


The cold nights of Kuroko Tetsuya

by oddball



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-28
Updated: 2013-11-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 21:21:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1061785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oddball/pseuds/oddball
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A famous surgeon's assistant is murdered in broad daylight, after officer Aomine is foretold his death. What starts as a stray case of murder, soon engulfs Aomine, Kise, Akashi, Murasakibara, Midorima and lastly, Kagami. How are they involved in this crime? What was the reason for this? As Aomine proceeds to solve this case, the lives of the others are thrown open and darkness that neither of them wanted, swallows them whole.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The one where it started

**Author's Note:**

> I dont own any of these characters. And their personalities may have some changes (or rather interpretations to it) but mostly tried to stick to their original behaviors. Hope you all enjoy it! :) My first fanfiction for Kuroko no Basket:)

It was a cold dark night, Kagami was tossing and turning in his sleep. He was having the same nightmare again. It had become a recurrent feature of his existence, ever since that horrifying day. He looked intently at the man sleeping next to him. Frail, blue haired, angelic face, he squirmed in the persistence of Kuroko's trauma, but what haunted Kagami more, was that this blue-haired boy, was unfazed after what had happened to him! Kagami had believed Kuroko would probably have broken to pieces too fine to pick up, but he seemed to pull himself together faster than Kagami could've anticipated. Kagami glanced carefully at the bullet wound near Kuroko's stomach. His face paled and his body trembled. The events of that night hadn't let him sleep a night of peace. 

"Kagami-kun, please go back to sleep. I'm fine" Kuroko mumbled sensing him sitting up. Kagami got startled, being broken from his thoughts. He nodded and nestled his head back on the pillow. But the question never skipped his mind- why would 'he' want to kill Kuroko, a simple kindergarten teacher, moreover, him of all the people?! Kagami's quest for the truth was often dissuaded by Kuroko himself, for he didn't want to revisit those wounds. Kagami respected that, however, night-after-night, the chill down his spine, kept freezing and numbing his senses; the only repair was to keep that fire of vengeance alive, to melt the ice that tended to numb his soul. 

"Someday, I'll do what you can't do Kuroko, for you"  
\---  
Mornings were always tough on officer Aomine. He was never quite the person to be an early riser, however early he slept in the night. He cleaned up, got dressed and grumpily head towards the headquarters. Luckily for him, he'd grown to head the department, so as to get some leeway. He was a proud, almost arrogant, officer. Most of his juniors were either scared or extremely scared of him. In the fear, was laced often, an awe for this officer, who had in his duty, never left a case unsolved. His higher-ups, however, were unsettled by his score, for not one criminal Aomine dealt with, was left alive. The citizens of the city rejoiced, but his seniors resented his sternness and almost scant regard for hierarchy. He would merely call it "a misfortunate encounter" and seal the deal. Aomine waltzed into his regular bakery to pick up his favorite donuts.

"ah..Mine-chin. You know even though I run a bakery I dont like to sell too much" a tall giant said. He was an old acquaintance of Aomine, currently towering above him, at the height of 2 m. Purple haired, Atsushi Murasakibara.

"I know. You're kind of stupid that way you know" Aomine said grinning.

"I have to get by, otherwise I wouldnt sell a thing here. Anyway here's your regular. How's it going with the new rookie?" Murasakibara yawned, hating this small talk business.

"Spare the small talk, Mura, I'll catch you later. And yeah, the rookie sucks. He apologizes at least twelve times a day" Aomine said leaving, noticing Murasakibara's already bored face.  
"Speaking of which, where is that moron?" Aomine growled. He entered the headquarters and everybody rushed to stand and greet him. Ryo, the rookie was there too. Aomine looked at his sorry state, carrying a bunch of files and almost slapped his own forehead. "what kind of a punishment is this" Aomine thought to himself. "Oi, Ryo, what's the P.O.A today?" "sorry sir! I should've told you earlier! Im so sorry! I'm.." Ryo Sakurai begged.

"just get to the point" Aomine said already losing his patience. 

"nothing much sir, just filing paper-work" Sakurai said trembling.

"hmmm. okay. And Ryo?" (Aomine)

"yes sir?" (Ryo) 

"Who the fuck, let you be an officer?" Aomine asked quite genuinely, with the hope of wanting to pulverize the incompetent examiner. 

"I'm sorry sir! I'm sorry I exist! I'm..." (Ryo)

Aomine signaled him to go away. There was only this much of Ryo he could handle each morning. Afternoon had almost set in and Aomine was heading to his training duty, when the phone rang. 

"Sir, it's for you" a junior said, handing the phone to Aomine.

"Hello" Aomine said in the most disinterested tone. 

"If I were you, I wouldnt talk so harshly to someone who is going to make you sweat, Daiki Aomine" said a sweet voice.

"who the fuck is this?" Aomine asked impatiently.

"Why an officer of your intellect shouldn't be asking this. Why don't you come to Hill-park square in an hour and we'll catch up where we left? Bye!" he quickly kept the phone, not trying to exceed a minute.

Aomine fretted. But he wasted no time and quickly ordered back-up and part force to accompany him. However muffled the voice was, he could've sworn he'd heard that voice before, heck, he knew he'd heard it a dozen times.


	2. The first blow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine comes face to face with the disaster that the phone call warned him about. What also surprises him is who the victim was. He and Momoi make deductions and a saddening revelation surfaces. How must he deal with this and...where the hell is Kise Ryouta?

Aomine rushed to the point at which the mysterious caller had asked him to show up. It was buzzing with crowd, the park was filled with lunch-timers and Aomine instantly realized why the caller sought this place. He immediately asked the back-up to station on the look-out for anyone within a shooting range. The noise of the shot would be drowned and since the park was relatively open, it wouldn't be a sniper making a shot, he deduced. But to look for a man who would shoot up close range was a wild goose chase. The hour was about to close, with 5 minutes to spare. Aomine angrily turned about, feeling wasted if this was a hoax. He almost lifted his walkie to call a retreat, when he heard a blood curling scream. A lady screamed as she stood next to a body laying motionless, in a pool of blood. Aomine cursed under his breath as the M.E flipped the body to I.D him and learn the nature of this wound. Aomine sent his juniors to ask the lady what she saw. She said she remembered a man bumping into the victim and the victim tripping. Once he fell, the man offered his hand to help him up, but instead the victim fell on the ground holding his chest and not even able to cry in pain. Aomine stood shocked hearing that. There was only one person in his term of office who had an ridiculous M.O as such. 

"Sir, the wound was made by a .32 ACP, to the heart" the M.E said.

Aomine knew these small pistols weren't really effective for long range, but upon close range and dexterity, it wasn't tough to pull off the stint. His hand trembled more as the M.E I'd the body- Kazunari Takao, Assistant surgeon at Tokyo general hospital. "this fuck..." Aomine said softly. 

They hurried the body to the morgue and Aomine followed. Within half an hour, a green haired tall, spectacled man showed up in doctor's scrubs. He was there to claim the body. Midorima swore under his breath, holding back the tears. Aomine walked up to him and put a remorseful hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Sir. What did this man mean to you?" Aomine politely asked

"He was my assistant at surgery, but more so he was my close friend" the green haired man said looking at the floor.

"hey! isn't he Midorima Shintarou? The famous cardio-guy, who just got awarded some huge prize?" the officers spoke amongst themselves. "Yeah. He is. This is a high-profile case now" some said in rookie-happiness

Aomine signaled the juniors to walk away and guard the entrance as he walked around the floor. Midorima shuffled his spectacles and wiped a tear. He then stood tall, walked up to Aomine, knowing they were alone and whispered in a soft but steely voice "whoever did this to Takao, we have to make the bastard pay" Aomine curtly acknowledged it without looking in Midorima's direction.   
\--

It was all over the news, this sudden death of the assistant surgeon. Aomine paced his house as he growled thinking he knew the prick behind this act. He pulled out his phone and instantly texted something to two numbers. He paced the floor of his hall little faster in anxiety for their response. As he read one of the response, his face sank and as he read the other he begun to crush his phone with all his might. He almost flung the phone, before a hand caught his wrist. "Dai-chan, dont" a soft feminine voice said. She was beautiful, long lustrous hair, curves in the right place, beautiful eyes and a delicate smile. Momoi Satsuki, Aomine Daiki's partner in crime investigation for years now. Not only that, but his friend since they could remember. Aomine settled his anger and crouched to the sink into the couch. 

"It has to have been him on the phone, Satsuki. You and I both know that" Aomine said in somewhat sadness.

Momoi painfully nodded in agreement. 

"If that's the case then why the fuck is he working with that dick, Hanamiya?"Aomine roared. 

"Hanamiya?" Momoi asked puzzled. "did Tetsu..." 

"Yeah he confirmed my suspicion" Aomine finished her sentence. "The gun fitting right into his palm, the foul play just before killing them and that ridiculous silencer which makes the bullet almost seem like it floats, it's way too precise to me anyone else" Aomine said. Hanamiya Makoto, ace mercenary who even Aomine had not been able to pin down. Albeit he had always only assisted his seniors on Hanamiya's case, but he was one guy who even the cops were a little afraid of. 

"Hmmm" said Momoi a little dejected. "You messaged him, does that mean you'll take his help?" she said now more frantic.

"They went after Midorima's assistant. He called for me on the phone, it's getting personal, Satsuki" Aomine said, almost reluctantly. 

"But Daiki! you promised never!"she cried. 

"I know, but I can't help it" Aomine said sadly.

"Plus if he's after us, I want to know why. And I have to keep that moron safe too. He's just plain stupid" Aomine grunted. 

"Of course. Ki-chan is always your primary worry. Despite knowing about him, you worry about him so much.." momoi said spewing venom, if not really, virtually. 

"He just needs fucking sensible people around him to keep him in check!" Aomine said furiously, defending this 'Ki-chan' 

"I'm leaving. Do whatever you want." Momoi said furiously. As she shut the door behind her she said "Dai-chan, they're dangerous people. Just take care. Of course I'm around if you need me" 

Aomine buried his face in the joints of his bone-weary palms. He had way too many questions popping up in his head, first of them being- where the fuck was Kise Ryouta?


	3. Nobody needs to hurt again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aomine makes a breakthrough in his investigation, but is rushed to frustration as the next crime has already been committed. He makes his way to the scene to bump into much more than just the murder. Kise's tears bring back old memories which were all what Momoi was hesitant about. After all, who could say no to the smiling, charismatic Kise, right?

Aomine's next day at work was no less bothersome. The investigation about the park-killer was on its full-force. The killer was obviously not stupid enough to leave fingerprints nor the weapon, but the level of customization led Aomine to call a brisk-meeting.

"Hanamiya Makoto. Age 30, light skinned, dark hair, tall. He is our primary suspect. With the M.O and choice of weapon we deducted, it throws light on the soccer player-killer case, 4 years ago" he explained. Some juniors knew about Hanamiya and realised what Aomine said was probably bang on. "so sir is he the one who called?" a curious junior asked.

"no we suspect he's not working alone. He's working with someone who may have or had access to classified information" Aomine said avoiding eye-contact.

"why sir?" 

"Because, the victim was the assistant of a high-profile doctor, however, he was also a part of a the secret espionage of the police in the drug racket scam of 2008. Whoever shot him, had to have known of this event at some point. The victim was allowed to carry arms for self-defense, however, not in the hospital premise of course. He was shot during lunch hour, a yard away from the hospital, meaning he mustve known that the victim wasn't armed. Which leaves us to two conclusions- either Hanamiya is working with an ex-cop, or there is a mole in our unit" aomine said plainly.

The unit gasped. They were amazed with Satsuki and Aomine's deductions, at the same time, the findings disturbed them. 

"sir, so is this man against the police?" an innocent rookie asked. 

"It would appear so" Aomine lied. He knew the shot on Takao was not because he worked with Aomine for certain things, but precisely for his connection to Midorima. 

"so lets get.." Aomine was interupted by a phone call. Aomine rushed to signal a trace and they got onto it. "hello" he said brassily.

"I'm sorry about Takao, Daiki" it was that voice again

"The hell you're sorry" he crassly said, wanting to crush him right away

"don't be so harsh on me. I have feelings too you know" he laughed "now listen carefully, if you want to find the next one alive, why don't you meet your pretty friend near his studio?" 

"you lay a hand on him and I will burn you alive!" Aomine growled. His juniors puzzled as to how the killer seemed to know Aomine well. And that Aomine knew who the killer was talking about. But then again, Aomine was not a top-notch cop for nothing.

"hehe. don't be silly Daiki. I know better than to mess with someone so screwed up already. Bye!" 

They traced the call to a public phone booth near a modeling agency with a studio attached. The agency was called 'Kasamatsu and co.' Aomine ordered two units to rush to the scene immediately. "Kise, don't get into trouble" he said to himself.  
\--

They reached there to horrific scene, beyond grotesque. There were people wailing, some fainting, some throwing up at the sight. They were too late. Down on the floor, lay the body of Kasamatsu himself, the owner and manager of the company. He was lying on the floor, in his blood, face up, with multiple slashes on his torso. But strangely, there was a mark carved on his stomach, a mark that a serial killer used late in the 90's and was caught because of this weird mark indeed. Thereafter numerous copies came out but none could actually copy the mark to the tee. None except one, who vanished from the face of this earth 3 years ago. That killer copied M.Os of dead-killers to perfection. He was never caught or heard of. Aomine saw this and his stomach churned, not out of disgust but out of a fear only known to him. He then caught sight of a tall figure in a white shirt, slumped standing, with his blond hair falling over his face. "Kise..." he quietly said. The blond figure slowly straightened up, his near-perfect face filled with tears. "Aominecchi.." he said whimpering. 

The figure rushed towards Aomine and hugged him tightly. The unit stood shocked as Aomine hugged him back. "Why did they do this to Kasamatsu-san, Aominecchi!" Kise wailed. 

Everyone recognized him, he was the face of many ad-campaigns, the show stopper of god-knows how many shows, the emerging star of the modeling world- Kise Ryouta. Aomine's unit knew that he was once in-charge of Kise's security for a year or so. But none figured they'd grown close over the years. 

Aomine patted his head and his eyes widened as he heard Kise whisper into his ear "This guy....stole my thunder, Aominecchi. He's going to pay" Kise's tone was shaking in a maniacal excitement. 

"Kise, you said you'd never return to that path" Aomine said softly. Kise began to laugh, in a joyful sort of way that scared everyone around. They assumed it to be severe trauma to the model on losing his mentor and close-manager in such a bloody fashion. 

Aomine guided him outside on the pretext of fresh air. 

\---  
Kise burst into fits of delightful laughter, as Aomine painfully noted his face. Kise wasn't always like this. At least not before Akashi found him over the dead body of a stalker who tried to scar his face. Kise had in self-defense plucked the knife from his stalkers hand, and stabbed him multiple times. He quaked in fear over his attackers body, as a cloaked figure slowly said "Now what? you'll get caught. You're career will be done, you'll be rotting in jail and your charms will dry up." 

Kise panicked and almost screamed, before he regained composure. Flashes of bad memories forced him to think on his feet. He was a smiling lad on a daily, but dead serious when it came down to business 

"No, I won't." Kise said almost in clinical madness. He took a stone, smashed the stalker's face and stole his belongings. "This way he'll look like he was killed by the stone-bludgeoner killer, who I read about in the newspaper" Kise said happily. 

Akashi seemingly pleased came out of the shadows "You're way too smart to be a model, also way too comfortable in blood. You're different now Ryouta from high school" 

"What can I say, I went to foster homes after that, with my sisters. I had to protect them from..." Kise still smiling but voice cracking.

"Join me and nobody will ever hurt you again" Akashi said lending a hand. Kise grinned and held out the knife and handed it to Akashi 

"Get rid of the murder weapon and I'll certainly join you, Akashichi" Kise said calmly.  
\---  
Aomine saw Kise shivering. "He copied me Aominecchi! me! I'm the best at my work, this is a challenge to me directly! this is..." 

"Someone whose always hated you" Aomine said having an epiphany of sorts. 

"You don't mean...." Kise said catching the drift

"Haizaki Shougo" they both muttered very silently. 

Kise almost started trembling and rage filled his charismatic eyes. No girl has ever said no to Kise Ryouta for whatever be the job asked of them, they were drawn to him like moths to a fire. It was his eyes they said, and his amazing smile. But if they saw both those today, one filled with anger and the other widened in sinister joy, they would've been scarred for life. 

"It's time to make scores even with that bastard. I thank Akashichi for letting me take my own revenge and not killing him then" Kise said calmly and almost in a friendly way.

Aomine's eyes pained to see Kise return to his blood-thirsty self. Trauma always did this to Kise. Be it the stalker episode, be it his foster home disaster or the most recent, Haizaki Shugo stabbing Kise and threatening to kill a certain someone before his eyes. Haizaki would've managed that too, had it not been for Aomine, who came there just in time. He shot Haizaki's hand and ran to help Kise and the other as Haizaki ran. 

Since that day, Kise had wanted to exhaust his blood-lust on Haizaki for various reasons. But there was a force that kept him in check.

"Kise, I'm staying with you tonight. To make sure you dont do anything stupid" Aomine said. Ordered rather.

"I'll be glad if Aominecchi stayed with me, why tonight, every night" Kise said genuinely. 

Aomine smiled. He loved to see Kise happy, without the maniacal smirk lurking underneath his skin. He had always wondered why in the world this amazing model had grown to taken such a strong liking to him. Yeah he'd always said "Aominecchi is so handsome and strong and passionate" Nothing that Kise said was wrong anyway, Aomine was well built, had a raw sex-appeal, tanned to perfection, extremely caring, passionate but unlike Kise, was more introverted. Kise was the most outgoing, emotionally vulnerable person Aomine had seen and despite Kise's maniacal side, Aomine knew that deep inside, Kise looked for affection, warmth and if he got that, his edgy side sobered. That he would no longer just have to hide his hurt behind smiles.

"Aominechi...You will stay more wont you?" Kise said innocently. 

"of course I will you moron" He grunted smiling. 

Kise smiled as he thoughtfully said "I need to talk to Akashichi, Aominecchi. He needs to know about this. And I heard about Midorimacchi's thing too. This isn't a coincidence is it?"

Aomine nodded. 

"If that's the case then, someone needs to look after Kurokocchi" Kise said a little worried

"Yeah he's with that big block, Kagami" Aomine said 

"But if Kagamicchi knows what actually happened a year ago, he'll want to take Kurokocchi away" Kise said worriedly. 

Aomine looked down slightly worried himself, cause he realised the repercussions of trying to disobey Akashi a year ago already. He just hoped unlike last time, Kagami wouldnt be another collateral in the scheme of events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the twist in Kise's character goes down well *gulp* I tried to add a new facet to his character by giving a new meaning to his almost perpetual smile. *fingers crossed*


	4. And so we meet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami learns the bitter truth about many things, in the most unexpected way. The story reveals itself slowly...

"Kagamicchi! How are you doing?" Kise screamed over the phone

"I'm okay. what the hell is it that you want?" Kagami said waking up

"nothing! just calling to say hi! Also I'm throwing a dinner for my birthday at my place. You two please do come"

"hmm.. okay we will. Hey Kise, thanks for always being there for Kuroko. All of you guys, especially after..." Kagami trailed.

"Dont be silly, Kagamicchi. We're not just friends, we're a pack!" Kise said gleaming.

Kagami smiled and put the phone down. He knew Kise, Kuroko and Aomine were thick and them showing up that fateful day at the right time only proved to him that Kuroko had close friends. People who were protective about him. Sadly what Kagami didnt know is that they were way too protective about him.   
\---  
Kagami and Kuroko carried a bottle of champagne as they rang the bell to Kise's duplex. Kagami looked dressed to the hilt, suited with a maroon shirt, but Kuroko, well, there's something about Kuroko in a suit. Pristine white with a blue shirt matching his hair and eyes. A black tie. Kagami kept looking nervously, wondering if he should tell Kuroko that he looked way too amazing.

"Kise is rich!" Kagami laughed, breaking the ice.

"He's a very successful model and also unlike how he looks, he's very intelligent" Kuroko said as the door cracked open

"that's such a back-handed compliment Kurokocchi!" Kise said looking brilliant as always. Black suit and a seamlessly flattering shirt, eclectic tie, no wonder he was such a famous model!

He welcomed his guests in and guided them to the table where everyone else was already there. Aomine pulled off the white shirt, black suit as effortlessly, as the almost cloaked black-green Midorima. Mursakibara wore a purple shirt and Momoi looked fabulous in her red satin dress. Kagami looked around at these new faces. He gave a smile-less nod to everyone except one person in a similar suit and shirt as him, but nearly a head shorter. This fellow however, sat at the table-head, despite it being Kise's house. 

"Welcome Tetsuya and Kagami Taiga. For your benefit Taiga, let me introduce us here. We're Tetsuya's high-school friends and we've remained close ever since. I'm Akashi" the demanding figure said. Everyone else gracefully introduced themselves, while Kagami looked on. 

"The reason we're all here is of course to celebrate Ryouta's birthday" Akashi said, while Kise beamed happily, "but there is also another thing we need you, Kagami, to know" Akashi continued in a flair. At that moment, Kuroko's eyes waned, he knew what was to follow. He never wanted Kagami to know about this, but the recent spate of events left nobody a choice. 

Akashi signaled Aomine to continue with the facts. 

"You must already know about the serial killings case on? Its all over the news" Aomine said plainly. Kagami nodded an affirmative.

"well, the thing is, we've deduced that these things have begun to get personal. First Midorima's friend was shot, then Kise's manager, Murasakibara received a threat-mail last night and the phone calls are made directly to me. This leaves only Akashi and Kuroko out of the story and so we need to be careful. You could be under cross-hairs too"

"But why target you guys? I mean who did you guys bully in high-school? Did you swirlie his head too long?" Kagami laughed, but realised nobody was laughing, not even Kise. He looked puzzled waiting for someone to explain.

"Kagami, apart from Kuroko and Momoi, everyone in this room at one point, have been outlaws" Aomine said flatly. 

"Outlaws? meaning how?" Kagami muttered in confusion 

"we've taken matters into our hands when the system has failed us. When justice was not served, we mete it out. Some by threat, some by death..." Kise said in a musical fashion. 

"in other words, we were mercenaries of our own making, setting the wrong, right. We didn't kill out of pleasure, but to correct what the system couldn't and doesnt do" Akashi said.

"Ao-chin gives us heads up about cases which the police messes up, or the ones who get bought or stuff like that, we finish the work" Murasakibara added, while calmly eating.

"What the fuck?! You guys are murderers?! And fuck that setting wrong right shit! you guys are killers in the end!" Kagami exploded. "The fuck! I dont believe you!"

Midorima sighed and removed his pistol from his hold, sheathed beneath his shirt. He took an aim at a vase nothing less an 3 m away and shot it in perfection. "I'm the sniper and the medic of the group" he said calmly.

"Midorimacchi! that was an expensive gift!" Kise wailed. Midorima barely responded as Kise sighed and followed the gun-demonstration by swiftly carving a symbol on the fruit before him. He flashed it before Kagami and asked "Kagamicchi, read the papers?" 

Kagami carefully noticed before jumping off his seat. 

"holy shit! this is the exact mark that copy-killer from three years ago left on each of his victims. That was you!" Kagami said almost sweating and shaking. Kagami glanced at Kuroko who had been silent all through.

"Kagami sit, Im not done yet" Akashi ordered. 

Kagami would've protested but he was way too scared now.

"Yes, we were almost like mindless killers thinking we were flawless in our logic, because I am always right. But after Tetsuya came, he showed us meticulously, that we need to stop. That our ways may not be the best way to deal with grief" Akashi said in a tremble but steady voice.

"Everyone here, Kagami, has had pain in their lives. Daiki's parents were almost killed by a drug dealer on the road, the police didn't bother because they luckily lived. Ryouta was put in foster homes and in one of the foster homes, he was abused. The abuser was heard saying- he was too pretty a kid. Atsushi's brother was once a part of a rogue gang, but Atsushi gets blamed and targeted for things he never did. Shintarou's research has been stolen, he's been mugged amongst numerous other cases still in trial. He was once shot too" Akashi said, with a secret hate burning in his eyes.

Kagami's throat was crushed under the weight of these words. His head spinning. He looked around and could only see pain. Kise was crying his hearts out on Aomine's shoulder as Aomine buried his head in his chest, his hands cradling the crushed model.   
Midorima instinctively held his shot wound on his arm and a tear dropped as he remembered Takao. Momoi was patting Murasakibara, who was tearing up as he drank water. Kagami looked desperately at Akashi who took a breath before he continued.

"So we came together. I could see their futures through. I see everything...We wouldve led lives with blood stained hands if Tetsuya hadnt changed us. But now, this killer is threatening his safety and for that, we cannot sit still. We've messed up before once, we cannot lose Tetsuya again" Akashi ended.

Kagami not knowing how exactly to respond finally said "so what should I do then?" 

"for now nothing. Right now, we have three suspects who we can get hold of, but we want to be certain that's all there is to it" Aomine said

"three?" Kagami said surprised. 

"yes three. Haizaki, Hanamiya and Imayoshi" Kuroko finally said. 

"you knew Kuroko?" Kagami said in shock.

"Yes Kagami-kun. Their motives aren't anything surprising, they've borne harsh grudges against all through the time. And as you may haven't heard Hanamiya is a full time rogue, Haizaki is a crazy psychopath who idolized Kise at a point and when Kise didn't accept him as a disciple, he stabbed Kise and threatened to kill me before Kise's eyes" Kuroko said in a tone similar to Akashi's.

"I'm going to rip his every muscle, sinew to shreds, carefully carving, leaving nothing behind.." Kise said still in Aomine's hold, but writhing in the pain of vengeance. 

"And Imayoshi?" Kagami asked curiously, trying to not throw up from Kuroko's story.

"He was my senior. He taught me. He became disillusioned by the police force and left to do ....this" Aomine said sadly. 

Kagami nodded somewhat getting a sense over the situation. 

"I'll keep Kuroko safe. Do you'll need him in any of this?" Kagami asked with new found strength.

"No. We'll handle this. You keep Kurokocchi safe" Kise said wiping his tears. 

"these three will be caught in no time" Akashi said, looking over to Aomine who made a crisp agreement. 

"that's all there is to it" Akashi said, as everyone proceeded to leave. 

"Oh yes, Kagami another thing. Tetsuya is our soul. We will protect him. However, if you don't trust us, we won't hesitate. Don't struggle, dont run, understand both these, you'll be fine" Akashi said

"No. Kuroko is my soul too. And frankly I dont give a fuck about what you psychopaths do. But you'll have to pry me away from him even if you kill me now. And however it is, if Kuroko still is with you guys, you arent monsters. The day he tells me he's had enough of you people, I wont hesitate" Kagami said firmly.

Akashi smiled. That's what he wanted to hear from the person he entrusted Tetsuya to. The rest smiled as they left. 

"Kagami-kun, thank you" Kuroko said as they walked back.

"Shut up. You plucked me out of nowhere and made me the basketball-ace I am today. You had me when I had nothing, so I'm not leaving you come-what-may" Kagami said without even looking in Kuroko's direction.

Kuroko smiled.  
\-----------------


	5. Make me feel again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise is confronted with his emotions and finally learns to feel again

Aomine decided to spend the night at Kise's itself. The guests left and Kise had the helpers leave as soon as cleaning was done. He desperately needed alone time. Aomine walked upto Kise's room and saw Kise lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Aomine slowly crawled besides Kise and placed his hand on Kise's carefully maintained flat abs. Kise smiled generously and put his hand over Aomine's. 

"Enough with the thinking. Those times are gone now." Aomine said with sadness in his eyes

Kise merely nodded. Aomine knew that if Kise had stayed silent that long, it meant the wounds had re-surfaced and were being dug over again. Kise sat up and looked at his face in the mirror across. 

"Aominecchi, how do you love me so much? I'm a monster...I've smiled just like this when I killed people. I..." Kise said in somewhat a steadfastness which drove Aomine mad.

He grabbed Kise by the shoulder, turned him towards him and looked him in the eye and almost yelled. "Shut the hell up, Kise! I don't love you for your stupid looks or your smile and things like that, only! I love you for what you are. And once this is all over, I want to see that idiotic smile on your face again. The Kise who gets happy unnecessarily, who would keep asking another game of Mortal Combat if he lost and played till he won, the one who hugged people even when they hated it..." 

"I still do those things Aominecchi" Kise said trying to laugh

"Dont you think you can fool me. I know when you do things to show-off and when you mean it. Dont be the shadow of the sun Kise, you're sunshine itself" Aomine said slowly.

Kise couldn't handle it and burst into tears and collapsed into Aomine's strong arms. Aomine held him tight until he heard Kise slowly whisper "Kiss me Aominecchi...Right now. I want to feel again"

Aomine sat up straight looked at Kise's carefully. He didn't want to do anything too harsh on someone who seemed so fragile at the moment, but Kise was not someone to break that easily. He pulled Aomine towards himself and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Aomine grabbed Kise by the waist and mangled his hand into his blond hair as he breathed into Kise's neck. Kise suddenly bit into Aomine's lip as he chuckled "I told you, make me feel" 

Aomine smiled with a half smirk as he pushed Kise below him. Kise flung open Aomine's shirt, as Aomine almost tore aside Kise's shirt, with his tongue carving impulses from neck to his stomach; his hands pinning Kise on the bed. Kise twisted in moans and whimpered Aomine's name as he slowly seduced the blonds erection with his mouth, sometimes quick sometimes in unexpected calmness. "Aominecchi..." Kise whimpered. Aomine towered over Kise's body as he said "flip over"   
Kise obeyed. And as Aomine picked up a bottle that seemed like a lubricant from the side, Kise held his hand and said "No..."

Aomine understood and thrust his own erection into Kise. Kise's eyes teared up in pleasurable anguish, as he felt the warmth of the tanned man seep into him. "Don't you dare think about anything else when I'm with you" Aomine demanded. He knew that would keep Kise from recalling his past. 

Kise grasped the bed-sheet, gasped in cracking voices, clawed into it as he reached an orgasm, but Aomine merely said "I'm not done yet" 

In a while, both tired after reaching their orgasms, collapsed on the bed, facing the ceiling. Kise turned faced Aomine, who seemed to have slept off. He smiled and curled into his sleeping pose. None was needed to be said after that. Kise quietly whispered to a sleeping Aomine "Night, Aominecchi' as he slept.

Aomine smiled as he heard that, not responding however. He waited for Kise to soundly sleep until he turned, looked at his peaceful face and said "Idiot"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is tougher than I thought! Hope you'll enjoy it :) (had to include my favorite pairing somewhere)


	6. I looked up to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The suspects have been rounded off, but something is still missing. Slowly the pieces of the puzzle coming together...

"You fucking think, you could've gotten away from Akashi's grasp" Aomine bellowed. 

It wasnt difficult to catch Hanamiya or Haizaki, with Akashi's help. He had planted his little 'pets' all over the place, places that Aomine couldn't reach with his law-enforcing hands. He glanced over as Hanamiya laughed, making sounds with the fetters on his hands. Haizaki remained dead silent. Aomine continuously glanced at the door, waiting for the third person to be caught. He knew Imayoshi was nobody's fool. Catching him, wouldnt be easy. He'd asked Akashi to let him go on the chase, but Akashi denied. He knew Aomine's emotions would meddle in. He sent Kise along with Midorima and Murasakibara, shielded with extensive research by Momoi, to get Imayoshi. Mind games didnt get to Midorima all that easily, Murasakibara was a beast, while Kise was fast and agile to break into a chase when needed. 

The door cracked open and in came Murasakibara dragging Imayoshi by the collar.

Aomine's heart froze as he saw his former captain. "So you finally caught upto me, Daiki?" 

Akashi signaled Atsushi to put him aside. Akashi knew Imayoshi wasnt a crass scum-back like the other two. 

"Do whatever you want with them, but if you don't find out who's behind this..."Akashi said as he quietly sat in the shadows. 

Midorima made it swift and elegant as he pulled out a gun and shot Hanamiya right between his eyebrows. Fast and simple. "That was for Takao. I don't need you to tell me anything" he said. 

\---  
The door slowly went ajar, with someone prying it open. It was Kagami. 

"I got Kise's text who asked me to come here. Are they all caught?" Kagami asked, trying hard to ignore Hanamiya's corpse lying in a pool of blood.

"No" Akashi said calmly. 

"but you said three..." Kagami said before being interrupted by a loud yelp.

Kise gracefully slashed another bit of Haizaki's flesh. Haizaki's eye's danced in pain but his venom hadn't vented out. "I looked up to you. You were my idol, but then you met that blue-haired boy and became soft. I couldn't stand it! But then that bitch over there shot me before I was done with you two. Look what I had to do to get your attention again! Kill that dumb manager of yours to make you like this again, now take me as your..." before Haizaki could finish that, Kise jabbed the knife in him again and twisted it a bit. Kagami nearly threw up at the sight.

"you're a disgrace. You hurt people I cared for so much and you expect me to acknowledge you. Get this Haizaki, I'm not wasting my time now with you to satisfy you, but to make you pay for everything you did to me. See this scar?" Kise said pulling up his shirt and pointing to a stab wound.

"well that's going to be my gift to you before you die" Kise said evenly, as he jabbed the knife in Haizaki's stomach again, this time longer, deeper. He turned to Haizaki and asked "Oh yes, before I forget, who hired you?" Kise asked smiling. "You dont really think, I would..." Kise slashed him again with precision not to kill him. 

"You know him...You've met before...Kise...I hope you..." Kise finally delivered the finishing cut, completing Haizaki's unfinished sentence "you rot in hell"  
\--  
Aomine turned to Imayoshi who was grinning all this while. Kagami's stomach churned just wondering what had made them all so invincible to gore. 

"You know by now this wont work on me, dont you. So tell your sexy boyfriend to lower his knife please" Imayoshi said sardonically.

Kise had already begun to proceed to wash the knife and leave the mind-bender, to Aomine and Akashi( if needed)

"I looked up to you" Aomine said "not even in the sick way like that prick did. You taught me everything I know. When you left, disenchanted by the system, I lost faith too. I joined this because I saw you give up..." Aomine said truthfully. 

"Who said my motives were as noble as yours? I was bored of fighting for the right so I.." Imayoshi said before being cut in. 

"So you told me before leaving- you are the new ace. You take it on where I failed. I failed you too, Imayoshi-senpai. The moment you called for the second time, I knew it was you. If you've been reading my mind all this time, the reverse applies too. You threatened Ryo to be the mole in the force, to be a step ahead in planning. You're too smart to be lured by emotion, or bribed by money, so tell me, what did this guy offer you that you don't have?" (aomine)

Imayoshi paused. His eyes actually feeling pride. He saw well Aomine had worked out the fact that he wasn't working independently and hired those two and that Aomine was merely not telling what he knew for Imayoshi's sake. "dont belittle the enemy, bend them" is what Imayoshi had often taught Aomine.

"I'm proud of you. You've grown to be such a delinquent" Imayoshi said.

Aomine turned to walk outside. Imayoshi glared at him. "dont go AWOL on me" he said in a serpentine hiss. Aomine continued to walk as he said "I dont give a fuck anymore. I dont need your help to solve this"

Imayoshi feeling ignored, felt a little annoyed at being disregarded as a source for information. Akashi sat there as the rest vanished. 

"What, so you'll are going to leave me like this? Don't you need information?" Imayoshi asked little desperate now.

Akashi silently removed a gun pointed it in Imayoshi's direction and said "If Daiki feels you are pointless then so be it" 

Imayoshi panicked a little as he called out for Aomine. Akashi merely said "if you think this is a dumb prank, then die already" 

"Alright! You win, just get him back in" Imayoshi almost pleaded.

"I told you old-man, he doesnt want to. He's bored of you" Akashi said. 

Imayoshi looked at the window nearby and yelled "44th street, tomorrow night, three of us meet him" 

Akashi smiled as he snapped the guard out of place. 

"Wait don't you want to know why I did this? Daiki?" Imayoshi yelled

Akashi shot him straight and he fell motionless.

"I already told you, I dont give a fuck anymore" Aomine said to himself in the room outside.   
\---


	7. The monster inside me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The one where it all ends.

"The plan is simple, Ryouta, Daiki and Kagami, you go to the 44th, covered in hoodies, with Hanamiya's gun and any other paraphernalia these three were to carry. Shintarou, be positioned with the sniper in the old building next to the street. Atsushi will be in the opposite building, from where he can see the three of you clearly. I will be with Tetsuya, wherever he pleases" Akashi explained as the three of them strapped a gun onto themselves. 

"Lets finish this" Kagami said, albeit nervously but determined.

Everyone took their positions and the "guy" was contacted by Aomine using Imayoshi's phone. He called the three for a 'final mission' 

Their heights weren't that off to immediately set of suspicion, half the reason why Atsushi wasnt sent.

The three reached there and saw another shorter cloaked figure standing there. He looked very familiar to them.

"So to cut to the chase, you'll have to get one more person" the figure said.

"Hain! easy shit" Kise sneered mimicking Haizaki's tone. Copying was his specialty after all.

"your target is Kagami Taiga" the figure said properly.

Kagami froze but regained his composure as Kise slowly snuck near him and motioned him to grab his gun.

"Freeze...Ogiwara" Akashi said from Ogiwara's back. 

Kise, Aomine and Kagami lifted their guns, pointed it at him, as they flicked off their hoods. Ogiwara looked tensed before he pointed his own weapon at Kagami. 

Kagami furiously yelled "You fucking shot Kuroko last year, now what do you want from me?! Can't you see him happy?" 

"Fool! this is for Tetsu! I planned this so that they would all return to being the monsters they are, Tetsu would see how his effort was being misused and that he's being used, specially by this Akashi!" Ogiwara yelled.

"You planned this to get Tetsu to leave us?" Aomine said in anger

"Dont act innocent! Why dont you tell Kagami here, who actually shot Tetsu that day and pinned the blame on me?" Ogiwara yelled.

Kagami looked stunned at this revelation and glanced at Akashi who caught the hint to explain. "It is true, I had ordered Shintarou to hit Tetsuya, avoiding his vitals of course, in order to frame Ogiwara to prevent him from taking Tetsuya away. I knew he was coming with a gun to threaten us, as he had a word with me earlier. He however did not expect Tetsuya to come too. But ultimately Ogiwara, we both know, that Shintarou merely fired blanks and that accidently or whatever you wish to call it, it was your bullet that shot Tetsuya"

Ogiwara began to cry as he heard that and spurt out "Yes! I realised the moment it slipped my fingers. It was an accident. Unlike you monsters who didn't mind hitting him to make him stay!"

"We're were monsters. We fired blanks. I tried to see if you would fire at Tetsuya under any circumstance. And you failed my test" Akashi said in unwavering confidence.

"You still think this is a game? Akashi? That incident, it took the one thing dearest to me away from me-Tetsu! Thanks to you killers! Now did you feel even the slightest of my pain, when you watched someone close to you taken away? And you, Kagami Taiga. Trusting this guys blindly with Tetsu's life" Ogiwara said breathlessly

"So you're coming after me, in the hope of pinning it on these guys, so that Kuroko will leave them and come to you?" Kagami said furiously, now getting this muddled up affair.

"That's right. And with all of you here, I think I might still get that done!" He said quickly lifting his gun and clicking it to shoot towards Kagami, when his hand was shot from behind. 

The bullet had fired, Aomine dived to push Kagami aside as the bullet hit Aomine's shoulder. 

"Aominecchi!!!" Kise yelled, jumping to help him while holding the gun up to Ogiwara ready to fire.

"Kise-kun, don't" said a voice from behind. 

"Kurokocchi? When did you..." Kise managed to say.

"I was here for a while now. How are you, Ogiwara-kun?" Kuroko said in bottled up anger.

"Tetsu...." He said with his eyes welling up. "Tetsu, please come with me! You dont deserve to be with these monsters, Tetsu..." He said offering his bloodied hand.

"Ogiwara-kun, you killed innocent people in cold blood to get to me, you caused pain to Kise-kun, Aomine-kun and Midorima-kun, when you knew it was you who accidently shot me. You're ridding your guilt by trying to make up to me. You tried killing my partner, Kagami, right before my eyes. Who is the monster now?" Kuroko said tears filling his eyes. 

"Tetsu, please. I wanted them to pay. For what they did to you, to me!" Ogiwara cried.

"They did nothing to Kuroko! I know they're all messed up and weird, but they're making changes. They didn't force Kuroko to stay. You gave him that reason, when you shot him!" Kagami yelled while holding Aomine's hand.

"Even if it was an accident you fled! These guys for whatever reasons, stayed. They helped him heal along with healing themselves. And you call yourself Kuroko's friend..." Kagami cried hoarse.

"Shut up! shut up! like you know anything!" Ogiwara said while trying to hit Kagami again, but he was interrupted with a shot in his chest. He coughed blood and held his wound, which was dripping in blood, as he turned to see an upright hand. 

It was Kuroko. Kuroko slowly walked towards Ogiwara with tears clouding his sight. Everyone stood shocked, impaled by the jolt of the event. Kuroko bent down held Ogiwara's hand and cried and said "Im sorry Ogiwara-kun, youre the only monster I couldn't save. I'm sorry I failed you"

Ogiwara, breathing rapidly, blood spilling out, held Kuroko's hand tightly and said "No. I've failed you Tetsu. I love you Tetsu. Thank you for being the one to remove the animal inside me. Finally" Ogiwara coughed once and fell lifeless into Kuroko's arms. 

Kuroko looked at the sky and burst into loud wails yelling "No Ogiwara-kun, no! I couldn't save you" The night sky crackled as rain poured down to seemingly want to wash away all the sins of the soil and to ease the pain Kuroko felt. It was the first time he had killed someone. He cried to the gods thinking why his first had to be Ogiwara. As he looked at Ogiwara again, he felt somewhere there was peace on his face.  
\----  
Kise barged into the hospital with flowers and a box of donuts. Aomine laughed as he saw Kise arranging the flowers in the empty vase ahead. He also saw Kuroko and Kagami there. 

"Aomine, thank you for saving my life" Kagami said softly.

"Fuck you, I did it cause Tetsu would skin me alive otherwise" Aomine laughed.

Everyone around laughed as well.

"Where's Midorima, Murasakibara and Akashi?" Aomine asked

"Now who is the attention whore?" Kise joked. "Midorimacchi is at Takaocchi's prayer meet and Murasakibaracchi finally decided to attend therapy for his recurring passion-less feelings" he continued.

"And Akashi?" Aomine asked.

Everyone fell silent before Kuroko answered after a pause "Akashi-kun is giving himself in, for the death of Ogiwara-kun"

"What?! Why the.." Aomine said

"I was going to do it, but he ordered me that he needed to pay for his sins" Kuroko said sadly "But I made him promise that he would say it was an act of self defense" he added.

"That'll get him out sooner than he knows" Aomine said knowing the course of law. "Tetsu.."

"He's asked us all to start life afresh and that when he's out, we have a meeting" Kuroko said.

Aomine somewhat smiled as he held Kise's hand tightly and glanced into his eyes. Kise's eyes said "It's actually over" Kuroko seeing that held Kagami's hand as Kagami looked at him. The fever of revenge had died and he could finally see a world of peace in those teal blue eyes. 

The nights were less cold. 

\--------------------------------

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now! Hope you guys liked it.


End file.
